Pilot my best self

Great work. I'll bet you feel great.

Hello!
I'm 4 weeks post op and thought I would come back here to share what I have learned over the last 4 weeks.
My experience since surgery has been nothing short of incredible. I'm not speaking in terms of massive weight loss, but my energy, focus, well-being, mental clarity, and state of mind. The weight loss is a bonus.
Looking back on my 8 month journey to the OR, I realized that the most crucial piece of advice I received came from the most unlikely of individuals on my path, the psychologist who did my psyche evaluation.
She told me that the single best thing I could do for my recovery in the time before my surgery was to practice hitting my program Protein and fluid goals before surgery and to practice liquid Meal Replacement.
I had more time than expected between this appointment and surgery (5 months versus 8 weeks due to multiple delays and reschedules), but I kept on doing this. I started by replacing Breakfast with my Protein Shake and monitoring my Water intake. I eventually worked up to hitting 70-90 grams of Protein daily and my minimum 90 ounces of Water. I still ate, but only after I was at my minimum protein goal.
It wasn't an doctors order, it wasn't required, but I took her advice to heart and it has paid off in droves.
Within days of my VSG, I was well on my way to hitting my goals again, with little head hunger or emotional discomfort with a liquid diet. I wasn't stressed or had any 'buyers remorse'.
This is one small thing you can do for yourself on the way to make the lifestyle change a smooth transition. Best of luck!
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In retrospect, I wish my doctor had said that when suggesting bariatric. I suppose they don’t want to overprescribe surgery, but it is important for physicians to understand the shame and guilt that comes with obesity and provide more context when recommending WLS.

In retrospect, I wish my doctor had said that when suggesting bariatric. I suppose they don’t want to overprescribe surgery, but it is important for physicians to understand the shame and guilt that comes with obesity and provide more context when recommending WLS.

I always KNEW it wasn't my fault I couldn't lose weight successfully. Over the years I picked up so many healthy eating habits that stuck with me, and ate healthier than most people I know, and still was fatter than all of them. I still saw myself as a failure for never being able to lose weight and keep it off. The surgeon who took out my gallbladder recommended wls to me and I'll never forget him saying it is almost impossible for someone, especially the bigger they are, to lose weight and keep it off, and surgery resets all of that. His words were so validating. I had considered wls for years but never seriously until he said that to me. I made my appt. with a bariatric surgeon that day. It's so different now that I've had surgery. I actually see results for my efforts and I couldn't be happier.
It really upsets me when I see articles that tell people that weight it basically all within our control, because it really is not.
I'm not staying our habits don't have anything to do with it, because they do, but it's so much more complicated than that.

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Thanks for this. I wish I had considered this long ago. Instead, I dismissed doctors who suggested even back then that I might consider bariatric surgery. Even then I was very active and ate very healthy but could not get below the 220 mark. But I just assumed it was my fault and lack of discipline. So Instead I have continued to ratchet up. Only recently, desperate and as a last effort I attended an informational session. Now I actually think this is the only way I could get down to a reasonable weight. I am so anxious but hopeful for the first time in a long time.